The Washington critic., 1887-11-14
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
The Popularity Of Mushrooms as an
Article of Diet.
GREAT DEMAND FOR PENNIES
Public Men Who Have Made Money
Out of Their Books.
BOOK BUYERS AT WASHINGTON.

mushrooms. says the New York Eoen-
ing World, that feast could be pre-.
pared Of several courses of them, each
having distinct flavor from the other.
The button mushroom is the one most
frequently met with as garnish to
beefsteaks in the restaurants. Most OF |
these are imported from France, where
the mushroom culture Is flourishing
Industry. The greater number Of New
York restaurants are supplied from
caves and cellars In New Jersey, Long
Island and Westchester. A large com.
pany has been formed In Illinois
which hires cellars for mushroom cul.
ture, and It does such an extensive
business that II now gets the mushroom
sperm from France and grows them
from this. This sperm, which is found
in the black earth, looks like ragged
hair with white spots on 1t, or as II q
piece Of white thread had lain In
the ground until 1t rotted. The sperm
Is put into cakes of manure, and they
are broken up and planted In the fields.
Field mushrooms are better than those
which grow In cellars, for the latter
are soggy and not so well favored.
Some of the best mushrooms grow In
sheep pastures. Several very delicious
varieties are found In Central Park.
One enthusiast on mushrooms fire..
Square, opposite Twenty fourth street.
He goes out In the very early morning,
before the dew Is off the ground, aud
plucks the delicate fungi which have
pricked through the ground over
night, and look like tiny snowballs.
He has also found them In City Hall
Park, opposite Warren street, some
thirty feet in. Mushrooms are boiled
or stewed and also picked. A little
good sweet oil should be used to fry
them in. Butter, pepper and salt give
the proper seasoning.
~.
Says Frank G. Carpenter In recent
letter: Blaine made. understand,
100000 from his "Thirty Years in
Congress-" and his Speeches" have
had quite respectable sale. With the
exception Of Grant, he has perhaps
done the best financially Of any Of our
statesmen who have written books.
Horace Greeley got ten cents copy for
the first book he wrote, and his
"Glances at Europe" he sold outright
for $500. His "Life of Clay" paid the
publishers, and his American Con-
tlict" would have had sale bigger
than that Of Blaine's book had he not
signed the bail bond for Jefferson
Davis. AS 1t was, the first volume,
which was published before that time,
reached an edition of 100000 copies,
and he was well paid for his work In
getting up the two volumes. Bon.
ner paid him q big price for his
"Recollections Of a Busy Life" be.
fore he began to write them, and these
were first published In the Ledger and
afterwards put out In book form.
Beecher's whole book work, however,
did not probably pay him 100000, and
had he been living TO day he would
probably have received three times as
much. Washington Irving got $3.50.
GOO for the literary work of his life
time, and Alexander Stephens, so his
private secretary tells me, received
fifty cents set for his History of
the War;" and as 10000 copies were
sold his profits were $50 900. Parson
Browplow's son tells me that his
fathers book brought him 100000.
George w. Childs undertook the pub
liGation of It, and the sales amounted
to $4,000 copies. Henry Ward Beecher
received $4,000 from Robert Bonner
for writing the novel Norwood" aud
James Parton got his start at biography
in writing the Life of Horace Gree
ley" don't suppose Bancroft's books
have paid him anything to speak of.
They have cost him fifty years of life
and fortune has been spent In his In
ves,igations. They have sale, but not
large one, and venture that Blaines
book has been as much read as has
Bancroft's history. 1t Is now fifty
three years since he published the first
volume, and he pegs away on the re.
vision of his work at the age Of 81.
~.
II am at loss to know the cause Of
this great and steady demand for one
and five cent pieces" said Director
Fox of the Philadelphia Mint to the
New York Herald's correspondent
"It began about year and half ago,
and has continued ever since unremit-
tingly. Within the past year have
received drafts In advance from varl-
ous banks for Sl,50O,O00 In pennies
and nickels. Although we have night
and day force and never stop coming,
we are about 100000 behind the
orders. This Is the only mint In Amer.
lea where small coins are made, and, In
fact, We make most of the large coins
The demand does not seem to come
from any one locality, but from nearly
every bank In the country. | have
~ tn, hou IA
come to the conclusion that II is owing
10 unusual commercial prosperity
Business is good generally and feelih G
of confidence prevails, The total
amount of orders for one and five cent
pieces every week ranges from $4,000
10 $4,000. During October we coined
$4,000. GOO worth of silver dollars,
$500 coo worth of gold eagles, $3.50. 900
worth of five cent pieces and $il no
worth of one cent pieces"
~.
Speaking of booksellers and book.
buyers In Washington, the New York
SUMS correspondent says: One of the
Oldest booksellers here Is Mr.. Robert
Beall, who as lad used to deliver
books and periodicals to Daniel Web
ster. Beall says that Webster was q
great buyer but poor payer, and that
1t was very hard to collect of him. He
remembers General Scott very well
and he says that Tom Benton once
came into the store and asked for a
Latin grammar. The most popular
grammar at that day was Billion s.
and one of these was handed to Benton.
He laughed as he looked at 1t and said
uWby they poll me odd BulliOn' and